Written Wonderland

The commander was tired of spending time poring over the maps, considering the best strategies for pressing forward. Truthfully, little of that mattered until they had secured allies. She was tempted to call on Phantom again, discuss the plan and what had shifted, but there was no immediate progression to report--only other ways they would sit and wait.

Thinking of the paladin who had been so close to revealing every detail of their camp, the commander grew uneasy. It had been only a short time ago, but surely that had been long enough for the king to have launched some kind of parry in response. How long until the paladin was supposed to report in? And how much of the information that he had already sent was useful for the king?

She didn't like to think about it, but she couldn't turn a blind eye to the ways they were vulnerable. They only needed to hold out for a few more days. After they sent the volunteers off, they would secure the alliance and march with haste to the capital. The falling stones were all in place, ready for actions that would set them in motion.

The waiting was unbearable, and yet Mizu needed to bear it.

Deciding that she wanted to walk the perimeter of the camp--making herself visible kept soldiers respectful and loyal--Mizu buckled her sword and left the tent.

She knew that, very likely, Evan was meeting with the volunteers now, and while she was curious about who and how many had gathered, she expected that her physical presence would change the nature of the discussion. She was content to let Evan send information once she had it, so she started walking in the other direction, nodding to soldiers, lieutenants, and captains alike. She took note of the people on watch and stopped by for a word to make sure they were being vigilant.

One guard blushed and stood at attention when she approached after she had noticed him talking to a friend of his. Mizu looked with her steeled expression at him long and hard, and the soldier sobered, and his friend slunk away. With her head held high, she continued walking the camp, giving Evan's set of tents a wide berth by walking nearer the provisions tent. It was good to get some fresh air and exercise. She had half a mind to spar, but she wasn't exactly prepared to settle on a partner at the moment. She would be too anxious until the sun fully left the sky and the events of the evening began unfolding.

((OOC: She's probably going to walk the perimeter a number of times, so there's a high probability that Lance will run into her at some point.))

((OOC: After the volunteers all introduced themselves))

Lance had paused when Novelty spoke up about his offering--though the lieutenant had already heard about it, he was curious what folks' reactions would be. Some seemed to contemplate it, while others were eager to leave--and a couple seemed still a bit dazed from the whole event, Philip chief among them. Lance gave Novelty a shrug and a sheepish grin--a kind of silent good luck gesture--before taking his leave. He'd done what he could do for the group for now, and now he had to go perform his lingering duty as lieutenant in this army, for one more day.

The commander wasn't at her tent, and Lance had to start asking around, but luckily it wasn't long before he got the lead he needed. He found Mizu walking the perimeter of camp, and he called out her rank as he jogged to catch up with her.

"I've a report on Captain Rutliff's behalf, regarding the volunteers," he said once he'd gotten into step with her. He supposed he could have just lead with the report itself, but it seemed like the kind of thing that one should lead into with context, first.

Beginning her second walk around the perimeter--more than that would make her look anxious, she supposed--Mizu heard someone calling out to her and turned to look around. She quickly realized that one of the lieutenants, one of Captain Nicolaides' if she remembered correctly, was coming toward her. Doing what she could to settle her nervous system, the commander slowed, waiting for the lieutenant to catch up.

She didn't have to wonder long what was going on; the lieutenant was forthcoming that it was news about the volunteers. The commander thought she might be able to pull up the lieutenant's name if she gave it a moment.

Strange that Rutliff would send another captain's lieutenant as a messenger. Was he one of the volunteers himself?

The commander thought briefly about walking back to the strategy tent to discuss the matter, but it would be all over the camp soon enough if it wasn't already. May as well talk out here.

"Speak plainly, Lieutenant," the commander said, resuming her previous pace.

"Eleven volunteers showed up," Lance reported as he walked alongside Mizu. "Myself included. One jumped through the portal tonight against Rutliff's orders; the captain told me to tell you before going through himself for the night."

The first piece of news was excellent. Eleven volunteers. They could surely convince someone to stay... or perhaps it would be a gesture of good faith to send eleven if all of them genuinely wanted to go. But then the commander took in the second piece of news--that one of the volunteers had already gone through the portal--and the commander took a moment to process it, her pace slowing slightly.

She asked the first relevant question she could think of to buy herself some time to think. "Was it one of the men who had previously been attacked?" That would give her more information about whether the action was coerced or not. Though Evan assured her that the goddess would not attack any of their men anymore, that didn't mean the goddess didn't still have some control over them. After all, she had used the body of one to come visit earlier that morning.

And, internally, she was frustrated with Evan. Why did he think it was a good idea to have the volunteers so near the portal? But, then again, what was done was done, so now they would just need to deal with it.

"No," Lance said simply. "It was one of Maddock's soldiers. Raccoon." He wasn't sure if Mizu knew Raccoon, but they were a notable enough personality around camp it seemed plausible, and if she did know of them, that might help her understand the nature of the incident. He decided to volunteer some other information he thought she might appreciate, too, given her question.

"Four of the men who were attacked intend to return; only Rutliff's man wasn't there."

The name didn't sound familiar, but it did alleviate at least some of her concerns. It was difficult to imagine a new soldier wanting so badly to get to the goddess that they would thwart a captain's direct instructions, and Mizu didn't like what that might mean about morale.

She wasn't sure whether it was good or bad news that so many of the victims were returning, although she took some solace that it wasn't all of them or none of them. Perhaps they genuinely did have free will and still wanted to go back. She hoped they wouldn't regret that decision.

"And you," Mizu began, processing some of the earlier information he had offered, "you plan to volunteer?" She thought about asking why directly, but perhaps that was too personal. She also knew that the army needed some of them to go, and she wasn't about to try to question the wisdom of that decision.

"That I do, Commander." Lance replied with a smile. "I've already informed Captain Nicolaides."

He thought about offering some of the others' identities--or at least, what all captains they'd come from--but was curious about where Mizu might be going asking about himself, and he didn't particularly want to cut that off with info she might not be ready for anyway.

Mizu took a moment to chew on what the lieutenant had given her--it wasn't much. What more did she want to know about that?

"Other than you and Lieutenant Pemberley, did any other lieutenants volunteer?" She hoped not, losing two was already a lot. And she suspected she would be angry to hear about a captain volunteering from a lieutenant.

The commander also thought about the strangeness of Pemberley leaving. Last she heard, he hadn't come out of his tent, but perhaps he found a way to reengage with the situation at hand. And if it would be a matter of him secluding himself or volunteering, perhaps it would be better for him to leave.

Captain Bronwen would need some support, however.

"No, the rest are all cadets. Two also from Bronwen's retinue--well, the cadet that was also attacked, and one other. The other newbies are under Dod, Morris, Kade, and Rutliff, respectively."

Lance wondered if Mizu was disappointed that a lieutenant was volunteering. He supposed she must be, but he couldn't find it in himself to feel sheepish about it. This was literally the opportunity of a lifetime; he simply couldn't pass it up. To wit, another detail came to mind about the gathering that he wanted Mizu to hear, and his expression grew a little more serious before he continued.

"When we realized there were eleven of us, Rutliff emphasized that he didn't want martyrs--only those who truly wanted to go. No one budged an inch."